Why this ride
From Schwäbisch Gmünd it runs 342 km to Schwäbisch Gmünd; allow about 4 h 57 of riding. The stops in between: Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35, Small Reut Pond and back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh and Small Reut Pond
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 342 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 57
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh
On the southern edge of Schwäbisch Gmünd, near the Schirenhof farm, the outline of a Roman fort and the foundations of its bath house lie in the grass, with walls and hypocaust heating systems laid out for visitors to see. The fort guarded the point where the Upper Germanic Limes met the Raetian Limes, the two great frontier lines of Roman Germany, and a civilian settlement grew up around it. The site is part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire, and it is one of the more rewarding Limes stops in Baden-Württemberg, with visible remains and a lovely setting above the town.
Read the complete Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh is where the day begins. Next is Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35.
2. Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35
Öhringen had not one but two Roman forts, known today as the Bürgkastell and the Rendelkastell, both on the Upper Germanic Limes, which ran past the town on its way south. The watchtowers numbered here were part of that frontier, and the town grew partly on the remains of the Roman settlement that clustered around the forts. Little is visible above ground, but finds are displayed in the local museum, and the line of the Limes can be followed on foot or by bike through the surrounding countryside.
Read the complete Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 comes up about 105 km into the recorded legs. Next is Small Reut Pond.
3. Small Reut Pond
Small as it is, the Kleiner Reutteich is the smallest of the Maulbronn ponds on these rides, and at three kilometres from the monastery it sits well out in the woods. The pond has a quiet, secluded air, with trees reaching over the water and a soft, muddy margin. It belongs to the same water system as the other ponds, and like them it was created by the Cistercians in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but its smaller size gives it a more private feel.
Read the complete Small Reut Pond write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 193 km into the recorded legs you reach Small Reut Pond. Next is back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35.
4. back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35, late in the day. Next is Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh.
5. Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh to Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35
Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh → Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 is 105 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 to Small Reut Pond
Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 → Small Reut Pond is 88 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Small Reut Pond to back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35
Small Reut Pond → back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 is 72 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 to Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh
back through Watchtowers WP 9/33 to 9/35 → Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh is 78 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.